News

Stout defence ofGuinness treasures

State forced to return some of family’s valuables at Farmleigh

T
he Guinness family have removed furniture and artworks from Farmleigh House following the expiry of a loan deal with the state covering the estate’s contents.

A spokesman for the Office of Public Works (OPW) confirmed that some contents were recently “returned” to the family following the conclusion of the agreement. He refused to say what items had been reclaimed, citing a confidentiality agreement.

When the state paid €29.2m for the house in 1999, the contents were not included in the asking price, but remained in Farmleigh on a 10-year loan. A second decade-long loan agreement has now been drawn up for the remaining contents. The OPW had hoped that the Guinness family would gift some items to the state, and it has ruled out making any further payments.

The most valuable pieces in the original loan included a late 19th-century cut-glass and gilt-metal chandelier in the ballroom; a set of